2024 DragChamp 16-17 Jr. Racer of the Year

Camron Nelson wins the 2024 DragChamp 16-17 Jr. Racer of the Year title presented by Laris Motorsports Insurance after winning 16 times on the season.

01/15/25 – Welcome to the 2024 DragChamp 16-17 Jr. Racer of the Year Top 10 List presented by Laris Motorsports Insurance. This week we rank the best 16-17 year old racers in the country and crown the 2024 16-17 Jr. Racer of the Year!

Racecar insurance is more affordable than you think! Laris Motorsports Insurance policies are handled in house so they can provide quotes within minutes and they offer the broadest coverage available. Call Hailey at 985-746-4663 today to learn how Laris Motorsports Insurance can protect your racing operation both on and off the track! If you’re a business owner, Laris also offers commercial insurance. Protect your business with a trusted name.

Click here to view previous Top 10 Lists.

DragChamp Jr. Racer Top 10 List

1 – Camron Nelson

DragChamp Pro Member Camron Nelson is your 2024 16-17 Jr. Racer of the Year! Camron won 16 times in 24 finals in his Jr. Dragster. He raced at 15 tracks across 6 states. Camron was crowned the Texas Motorplex NHRA Jr. Track Champion, the Edinburg IHRA Jr. Track Champion, and claimed 2nd place overall at Xtreme Raceway Park IHRA Jr (tied for 1st but lost the tie-breaker to his sister). Some of his season highlights include winning the Big Money No Prep Jr. Shootout, NHRA Western Conference Finals Fun Run, and the NHRA WCF Rooftec 64-Car Shootout. Camron also captured the the NHRA D4 15-17 Championship (his 4th Divisional Championship), and doubled up at the CP Racing Promotions Dell Pollage Memorial race.

In his rookie season in a big car, Camron made history by winning the NHRA D4 Sportsman Championship and the Street Legal EV Championship. His performance earned him the title of NHRA D4 Summit Series Driver of the Year.

2 – Curtis Peek

Curtis Peek had a standout season, making 20 final round appearances and securing 11 wins, along with numerous semifinal finishes. He added 4 Wallys to his collection, including the 2024 NHRA Division 2 13-17 Race of Champions title and the 2024 NHRA Division 2 13-17 Championship. Curtis also earned track championships at both South Georgia Motorsports Park and Gainesville Raceway in the 13-17 class. He led his team to a Dream Team victory at Christmas on the Coast in Gulfport, and he was the winner of the Night of Fire event at Gainesville Raceway. Throughout the season, Curtis raced at 10 different tracks across 6 states.

3 – Will Willard

Will Willard lands in the #3 spot in our 2024 Jr. Racer Top 10 List after winning 13 times in 17 final round appearances. Will claimed a $5K victory at the Thanksgiving Nationals at Brainerd Motorsports Park, finished as the runner-up in the 64-car Bragging Rights Shootout at Brainerd, and was the runner-up at the IHRA World Finals.

During the season, Will also competed in a big car, reaching 16 final rounds and winning 12 of them, including a $5K race. He also won two track championships.

4 – Grace Varner

Grace Varner had an outstanding season, competing in both her Junior Dragster and Super Pro Camaro. She made 25 final round appearances, securing 14 wins, including 1 split. Of those final rounds, 17 were in her Junior Dragster. Grace earned the North Florida Motorplex Junior Dragster Track Championship and had a strong showing at the WDRA World Finals, finishing as the runner-up. She picked up wins at several tracks, including Gulfport Dragway, Silver Dollar Motorsports Park, Montgomery International Dragway, and Alabama International Dragway.

5 – Evan Muchler

Evan Muchler earned a Top 5 spot after winning 13 times in 16 races. He showcased his versatility by racing at 4 different tracks, competing in 5 different series, and piloting 3 different vehicles. Evan claimed his 6th track championship at US 131 Motorsports Park, added a $2K win at Mid Michigan Motorplex, and secured the Quick 16 victory at the Midwest Jr Super Series. He also picked up a win in the Pro Junior class at the Midwest Drag Racing Series and swept the Woody’s Shootout race. However, the highlight of his season was capturing the 2024 WDRA Junior World Championship.

6 – Ryan Roberts

Ryan Roberts enjoyed a successful season that found him in the winners circle 10 times out of 11 final round showings. He had back-to-back double up weekends at National Trails and then at Dragway 42. Ryan picked up a IHRA Sportsman Spectacular win and went on to win the Race of Champions at the IHRA World Finals. He also cashed in for $1,100 at Pacemakers and won the Thursday Gamblers race at bracket finals in a car he had never raced before.

7 – Dexter Gomez

Dexter Gomez takes the #7 spot after an impressive season, winning 8 times in 14 final appearances, including 2 split finals. He racked up numerous wins at Edgewater Sports Park, Kil-Kare Raceway, and Kentucky Dragway. Dexter also claimed a victory at the Kil-Kare Ultimate Sixty-Four event and a big win at the New Year Nationals.

8 – Leah Smith 

DragChamp Pro Member Leah Smith lands in the number 8 spot this year after winning 8 times in 13 finals over the course of the season. Her season highlights include earning 2nd place in the points championship at Holly Springs and claiming two Ironman victories at a Classic and the Sportsman Spectacular, which earned her a trip to the IHRA World Finals. Leah also picked up runner-up finishes at both the CP Racing Promotions Mississippi Summer Showdown and the TB Twin 50’s event.

9 – Madeline Rodgers

DragChamp Pro Member Madeline Rodgers had an outstanding season, racing in just 10 events but making an impressive 8 final round appearances and winning 7 of those. She secured the track championship at Pacemakers Outlaw Motorsports Park for the second consecutive year. Madeline also earned an invitation to the prestigious IHRA World Finals, where she made it to the quarterfinals in both the Fun Race and Main Event. To top off her successful year, she was selected to compete in the JDRL Summit Nationals Shootout, where she claimed her first Wally.

10 – Addysan Rogers 

DragChamp Pro Member Addysan Rogers earned a spot on the 16-17 Jr. Racer of the Year list after a standout season, winning 6 times in 10 final rounds while racing at 9 different tracks. She captured multiple wins in the Southwest Jr. Dragster Series and finished 3rd in the points standings for the 7.90 Index. Addysan also earned an invitation to compete in the prestigious Christmas on the Coast 64-car invitational.

10 – Ean Guenthardt

Ean Guenthardt rounds out the top 10 list after collecting 6 wins in 10 final rounds during the 2024 season. He won the points championship at Mid Michigan Motorplex in the 7.90 class, and also picked up several major races, including a $1,000 race at the Dragway 42 Hootennanny and another $1,000 race at Bunker Hill for their Halloween event. Ean made it to the quarterfinals at both the ECF main event and the Division Bracket Finals for the WDRA.

Shoutout – Emmaly Miller 

Emmaly Miller gets a shoutout on the list for her impressive season making 10 finals and 5 wins. She earned two points championships, the Pine Valley Raceway Advanced Junior Dragster points championship and the Southwest Jr. Dragster Series (SWJDS) 7.90 Index points championship. She also came in 2nd place in the SWJDS Bracket 330 points championship. She won numerous races in the SWJDS and also captured wins at the Pine Valley Raceway Independence in the Pines event and the Flicker Promotions Spring Stampede.

Shoutout – Logan Grayson

Although Logan Grayson didn’t race as much as normal, he was still able to finish his final year in Junior Dragsters with a bang. He ended up capturing 4 wins and 5 runner-ups (or 6 if you count running yourself in final). He brought home over $33,000 of winnings for the 2024 season making it his highest earning season. He kicked off the season by winning the largest ever Junior Dragster purse of $25,000 at Right Trailers World Series of Juniors. Logan then ran himself in the $10,000 Junior Jam final round. He also earned a runner-up finish in the fun race at Texas Motorplex on day one of the Western Conference Finals and another runner-up finish at the Christmas on the Coast event at Gulfport Dragway, where he secured $1,000 for the Caheely Performance engine.

In addition to his individual success, Logan was part of the 3-person winning team at Montgomery International Dragway, taking the top spot in the $6,300 team event with a 4-1 record. He was also part of the 5-person winning team at Brainerd Motorsports Park during the Thanksgiving Day weekend for the $5,000 team event.

Let us what you think about the DragChamp Jr. Top 10 List. We want to hear from you. Check us out on Facebook and share it with your friends.

And remember, look for our DragChamp Jr. Top 10 List nominations Facebook post every Monday evening. You can nominate your favorites in the comments of the post for consideration on the list.

If you nominate a racer, please include their name, their accomplishment, which track(s), and a winners circle photo. Some racers have missed the list because we didn’t have enough information and couldn’t find anything online.

DragChamp is your online source for sportsman drag race results, news, and updates.